Wheel



Maw. 11, 1924- 1,515,153

F. c. DITTMAR WHEEL Original Filed June 6, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR l /$5 M (2 ply/no Nov; 11, 1924' F. Cl DITTMAR WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original, Filed June 6, 1919 633M 9124M 22W;

4 ATTORNEYS or sun rnsnorsoo, cnmno sun-m; co (museums or rnunsvnv thigh l I 7 lassrsnon, nv nnsun Application filed .l'nne 3, 1919, serial No. 80%,288. Renewed I To all whom it may coawem:

Be it own. that l, FERDIN ND C. Dm- MAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at 57 Post Street, San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State. of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheels and'll do here thereof in vehicles, such as automobile trucks.

It is to be understood that my invention, while peculiarly adapted to uses reuiring great streh and ri 'dity, is equ ly desirahle, when emi in lighter construetion, for general purposes.

Among the objects of the invention is the provision of a metal wheel which is relatively light in weight and at the same time strong and rigid, and which may be constructed at a materially lower cost than metal Wheels of $1191 capacity he heretofore known and use A or object of theinvention is the provision of a method of constructing wheels from rolled or structural steel shapes and particularly to utilize such material in the most economical manner whereby the cost of constructing wheels according to the invention is reduced to a minimum.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better undersized by reference to the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which, I

. 10 and ii are sectional details illus- Fi 1 is a side elevation of a completed ch use.

trating portions of wheels constructed from s ecialshapes to provide rims of the desired 0 aracter on the wheels.

ldetal wheels, particularl for automobile purposes, have heretofore n constructed in various forms. For heavy trucks, such wheels are made of cast steeland are necessarily heavy. Since cast steel wheels are manufactured and sold on the basis of the weight of'the metal used, they are relatively expensive. Their excessive weight incre the non-productive load of the vehicle, thus unnecessarily cong mwer and reducing the life of the tires.

I have discovered thatwheels y. he

readily and economically construe m rolled or structural steel shapes, either commercial or otherwise. Thus, l, T or channel sections may be utilized, the flange of the sections forming the folly of the wheel, while the web is cut to provide the spokes. When I e ections are employed, the materiel ma he cut in such a manner, that both flan an subs $3 tially all of the metal in the we is utilized in the wheels, which are thus rodu in a most inexpensive manner. or example, in prcducmg two wheels from a standard l section the onl metal lost is the two half spokes at the on s of the section. Channel .tions y he secured hack to hack and ployed as l sections. Special shapes y he roll, to he formed into wheels of such sizes, as may not be economically produced from standard tions, and to rovide a folly or of sgecial shape. lincher or Q D. rims may t us be provided on the wheel. It may aim be desirable to provide a reinlo on. on

the rim and special shapes ma he rolled, in

which such reinforcement is ormed in the flan e. The wheels may also he formed by wel ing spoke mhers to a short steed T section.

The

ion

two flenges of the section are thus sepo noted end provided with n plnielity of lid speced projecting members 6, adopted to fem the spokes of the wheel, as indicated in Fig.4. Preferably e section is selected, of such dimensions as to provide materiel for two wheeis of the I nited'strength when snhstontitlly all of the material in the web is utilized, There is then no Waste materiel to he paid for is rolled steel end sold es strap.

The nit/orienting spoke memheis 6 me spieyw es indicated in Fig. 5 and the ends 7 time bent siightly. The iionge 5 is then roiled es indicnted in Figs 8 end i, core being token to inseift the hnh 8 hefoi e the wheel is closed. The flange 5 is prefernhly bent on rolled cold, hot the nonterinl many, of course, he heated to feoilitete the bending operation end sny ineehenicnl moons he empioyed to perform or to assist in the perionnience of this opetotion. When the ends 7 heve been hronght together, they one welded end the wheel is rolled to smooth out tiny irregularities in the content of the flange, iength oi the originel section is selected which provides s, wheel ofslig'htly isirget diameter than is desired in thehnished product To bring the wheel to the desired diameter, it is subjected, in n held donor, to compression until it is sniheiently contirected.

ji he spoke mom sets 18 one now welded 6)]? otherwise festenedto the huh. itefershly the welding opemtion is performed sininh teneonsly et thnee points, on one side oi the wheel, end spaced eqnelly shoot the hnh end the opetetion is iepee ted until nil oi" the spokes heire been secured to the not.

In Fig-n 1 end Q, l heve illustrnted one form of wheel oonsttneted in nccoidnnee with me invention in which it indiontes the rim and it the spohes formed integinl with the time, The spoltes Lid are welded to hollow ennn'ins 12 which may he strengthened hy wehs i3, A h h idis inserted in the onnnlns 1% end is preferably held in nssemhied reletion therewith Toy e plote 315 end holts 16 extending; through seid'plete'end e flange it on the hub, It will he noted thnt the spokes it) one heoedest nest their jnnction with the onnnlns 12 end tnpei" towsi'd the rim, @nrentet stmngth is thus provided as the leveling-o and bending stness on the spoke in menses,

In 8 9- oi the drawing, is slightly di'deient and pteteiied ifonni oi my inv w tion The iieliy @i fill]! it is provided with integnei spol es-it), ont fifonn the weh the otiginnl rolled section end tinting strengthening .20 stench up from the hody ofthe motel. The spokes iii ere end the welded et their? ends to ennnlsn niennheice hi which trons motel, steelplet nnd wheel which is light in weigt,

intense as indicoted in the drawing, with eeessed edges 22 adapted to receive the ends of the spokes 19 end which fecilitnte nsseinloiy of the wheel. The bends 2d are prefeirnhly formed during the sple ying operation, end assist metei'ieily in preventing bending of the. spokes under severe compressive stresses.

In cutting the spokes 19, the ends are preferably curved as indionted'in the dtnwing, the'rodins of the curve being thet oi the recessed edges 22 so thet the spokes fit the fastened to n huh 23 which pretendin -y, wl'ien the wheel is fohriented, is nnnnlnnly indent ed es indiceted in dotted lines st Aft-ii the wheel hes heen completed it snitehle e2= ponder (not shown) is inserted in the huh to expend the indented portion. The is thus elongated and the spokes one tensioned' hy this opeietion. ginniinrly the tension oi. the spokes may he tednoed hy stir'di'ing blow on the end oi the hnh.

in Fig, iii oi? the droning, ll ldfzWG' illnetrete'd s Q, l). illii 95, formed from the dongs of the rolled shops from which the wheel is constructed, and hinting" spokes 26 integrei therewith. In the oonstinetion of such n rim it is necessniy to roll speeiei shape in whieh snfieient inetni provided in the iinnge to permit the iosinntion tolling 01 otherwise, of the edge 27 end 28 to receive the hold ing him, in Fig, JUL, 1 hove illneticeted siightly diii ei ent town of my invention in which the him 29, honing integral 30, is provided with stre qthenin nilzs These tihs one ptefetnhiy one on the ilnnge of the section from the is constructed and some to strengthen From the 'iioiegoing it will he nndo'r tood that l hove perfected n telorionted inetnl rigid, end adopted to sliceessilnliy meet the stresses to which it is subjected in The meted em ployed is much stronger for e given weight then cost steel it is poesiloie, thereto e, to constrnct telotively light wheels of oient strength to the demands ttede. li hove pendent/ed moreover, it method of ptodnoing snch wheels employing mote tielecononnienlly end requiring inininrinni nnnihen oi'opeintions to eonmpleto the wheeih,

its

bra

censtruebed in eoeordence with my invention may be made and sold for substantieily one-third of the price necessarily obtained for cast steel wheels of the same strength Ubviousiy various changes may be made in the details of the method of construction and in the form and arrangement of the wheel elements without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of its materiel advantages,

1 claim:

-1. A wheel constructed of e flanged metal section and comprising a rim and spokes integral therewith, a hub, and spaced ennuler members supported on said hub and errenged to receive end transmit-stresses'trom the spokes and in alignment therewith to the hub.

2. A wheel constructed of e flanged metal section and comprising a rim and spokes integral therewith, a hub and spaced ennuler members having recesses to receive the intense ends oi seid spokes, said members being secured to said hub end spokes.

3. A wheel constructed of e fienged inetel section and comprising e rim and spokes integral therewith, ehub, and spaced ennuler members secured to said hub end to the ends of said spokes, said ends being curved to conform to said annular members whereby welding of the spokes to said members is :tecilitetedw d. A wheel constructed of e flanged metal section and comprising a rim formed from the flange and spokes integral therewith and formed from the web of said section, a hub, and speced annular members secured to said hub and to the ends of said spokes, the portion of the web between said spokes being widest midway between the spokes whereby the wheel is strengthened at the point where the greatest stresses are applied thereto.

In testimony whereof I efix my signature.

FERDINAND G. DITTMAR, 

